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The Corn-popping Truth about Maize and Man, GM and Obesity

The sad thing is that most of the corn we plant is genetically modified. Why?

We always used to grow corn in the vegetable garden when I was a child. It still is my favourite vegetable. Father would collect the seeds of his best cobs when they had dried out. We used to plant the seeds every year. Last year I took some popcorn kernels and planted them. They grew into healthy plants, but the cobs were barren. No seeds, no future, thanks to the big bullies who have screwed up the genetics of what was one of the world's staple foods.

There are many varieties of corn but where did they originally come from?

Where did we come from? According to Maya folklore we come from corn. I giggled when Carlos, our Mayan guide told us this but he was not amused. He said that the Gods ground up the corn and mixed it into a paste and we were fashioned out if it in their image. (This does sound corny!) We were inside a dark and gloomy cave. It had been a long hike through the jungle in Belize, one of the countries that look out over the Caribbean Ocean. We wanted to see Actun Tunichil Muknal, Belize’s “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre” - the place where the act of human sacrifice took place in ancient times.

The ancient Mayans believed that a good crop of corn (maize) depended on first pleasing the Gods. The Gods demanded that an offering of the grain accompanied by a human sacrifice first had to be deposited into the cave before they would give their blessings. The hapless victims had waded through the cold water as we had done, carrying a very sharp obsidian knife and a clay vessel filled with corn. They had also crept and slithered for over a kilometre into the darkness - the belly of the earth. In the torchlight we gazed at a human skull and a broken clay pot, still there as evidence of these gruesome rituals. A fossilized skeleton of a young woman was fused to a bed of limestone and calcite. It glittered in the dim light. I shuddered.

There were hushed gurgling sounds in the large cavern. Carlos said they came from the water as it flowed over the rocky ledges. It sent shivers down my spine - the murmuring protests of spirits, of broken lives at the mercy of the Gods who ruled their planet. But today we have a similar setup. Unless we pay our dues to Monsanto we can’t grow any corn or other crops. Unless we buy their seeds and use their chemicals we have no food to eat is what they try to make us believe. This is an equally creepy situation.

So where did corn come from? Corn or maize as we call it is a member of the grass family. It originally grew in Central and South America and was one of the staple foods of the ancient Inca, Aztec and Mayan races. Corn was introduced to the rest of the world when the Spaniards and other European races discovered it there. (In those days, corn grew from the seeds it bore, just the way it was created by God.) The foreigners explored the continent and stripped it of gold and other riches and agricultural resources such as corn and potatoes. In return, they gave of their pestilence and disease, their hate and manipulation. Within no time most of the ancient indigenous population got wiped out through disease and hardship.

An offering of corn and coca leaves and a wee tot of corn brew in Peru

Today many South Americans still have proud Inca or Mayan blood coursing through their veins. Most of them are members of the blood type “A” group. Unique to this blood type is the ability to thrive on corn because they have antigens (immune scanners) that favour the unique protein-based structure of corn. Even today, most people of blood type “A” can tolerate corn (maize.) According to historical speculation the “Gods” who came from the sky (possibly what we call aliens?) introduced corn to these races and shared their own genetics (blood type) with these earthlings. The same applies to ancient Egyptians who also grew crops of “alien inspired” wheat.

Believe it or not, Dr Peter D’Adamo, the blood type Guru also states in his famous book: “Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type” that blood type A was introduced to earth by “visitors” who helped the original blood type O hunter-gatherer to grow crops. Early man could then get more food close to his doorstep without having to go and hunt, so the story goes. The truth is that “God-given” crops such as wheat and corn are exclusively suited to this “alien” blood type A. They do not suit anybody else and never will! When blood type B came into being and then hybridised into blood type AB, some members of this new blood type were also able to thrive on wheat and corn.

Corn products like these are gluten-free. But they do not suit everybody!

Today we live and eat on a planet that centres itself on wheat. People of all blood types consume it two or three times a day until something goes wrong. Symptoms such as indigestion, bloating, blocked sinuses or severe intestinal damage usually emerge and begin to bother people. Once again, medical records will show that most of these patients are blood type O or B.” Aha!” They say: this is gluten intolerance and the cunning doctor will forbid them to eat wheat or grains such as rye or barley that also contain gluten. Obviously this directs all the traffic to rice or corn-based products as a gluten-free alternative.

Corn is a delicious grain. From the dreamy taste of a cob of sweet corn dripping in butter to the last bite of your nachos a gluten free fling is now within your grasp. Fill up on tostadas, corn flakes and barrels of popcorn. But all too soon, some people are worse off than before. There is a sudden rise in indigestion, bloating, rashes, brain fog and a noticeable gain in weight. Once again, we will see that this usually is the case with the blood types O and B! Many of them need special attention and customised dietary support. They are most likely to be the hapless blood type O and B victims of celiac disease who do not tolerate gluten or corn.

The blood type diet shows that wheat and corn do not suit everybody

Not many people have ever taken the blood type diet seriously. It guides you to the grains that suit you best. This is how inflammation, weight problems, celiac disease, gluten intolerance and the other gut-wrenching mucous-ridden afflictions of food incompatibility can be avoided in the first place. But in most civilised modern countries people are pressed for time. It is convenient to eat slices of bread, bread rolls, pizza and pasta to stave off hunger (and invite disease.) Blood type O and blood type B are usually surprised when this is pointed out to them but switching over to corn is equally unsuitable for them.

Corn allergy versus intoleranceThere is a big difference between a corn allergy and a corn intolerance. Allergic reactions are quick and involve an increase in histamine. They cause swelling, inflammation, rashes, itching and often difficulty in breathing. Corn allergies are very rare and usually need emergency medical treatment. A corn intolerance is difficult to detect and often the symptoms overlap with gluten intolerance of a general starch intolerance, as is the case with some blood types, especially the type O and type B non-secretors. Symptoms include moodiness, depression, poor sleep. black rings around the eyes, urinary problems, lethargy, sore joints and fatigue.

Corn is loved throughout the world. Vendors sell corn on the cob in the streets of China, Europe and Turkey and just about every other country on the globe. Here in South Africa most of the local people buy a lot of maize meal because it is so cheap. The smell of freshly made popcorn goes hand in hand with movie houses. The stuff is addictive! In Ethiopia popcorn is revered as a symbol of fertility. It is served during the coffee ceremony. This is a sacred event and a national token of Ethiopian respect and hospitality to visitors. But the copious fumes from the burning frankincense and the potent black coffee will not counteract the damaging effects of genetically modified grain. Throughout Africa there are persistent attempts to ban the use of Monsanto-based products but to no avail. Every year genetically infertile grains or “seeds” are forced onto farmers who cannot afford to buy them, let alone grow the crops. The prospect of making a profit is minimal.

Is corn really the “food of the Gods?” Not for long!

About 80% of the blood type “A’s” have the correct corn-friendly antigens. Let them enjoy their corn in every way, shape and form, we could say. Surely corn must be the food of the Gods if it is exclusively suited to the “alien” blood type A? The corn-based mayhem has blown itself out of proportion because we all like to think we are the same. We are not, we are different and nobody is superior in any way. But then along comes a group of people who cannot let people grow corn the way their ancestors did. They have to manipulate and control the food supply. Corn supplied by Monsanto is no longer fit for human (or animal) consumption. Not even for blood type A! They messed with the genetic structure and now the problem has exploded like a barrel of popcorn.

Corn syrup (fructose) is to blame for the obesity epidemic

People who try to avoid normal sugar fall into the jaws of the fructose trap. It is often touted as a health food, a “natural” sugar that is slow on insulin and gentle to the pancreas. The solution to preventing insulin surges. Fructose is made out of corn. It is used to sweeten just about every soft drink, cake, ice cream, biscuit and snack on the market today. It makes the average persons’ kilojoule intake increase by leaps and bounds. It causes an addiction to the foods that contain it and is responsible for insulin resistance, owing to the vast amounts of carbohydrates that people consume. The pancreas can’t keep up with the demand for insulin and the result is an increase in people who suffer from diabetes 1 and diabetes 2. The hidden corn intolerance causes fructose to provoke inflammation and inflammation leads to weigh gain. In the end we can see that the increase in fructose consumption goes hand in hand with the rising obesity problem.

Many of us have already discovered that we have an innate intolerance to corn. No longer should we accept that going to the doctor who will say that our symptoms are “idiopathic” and that we should take anti-inflammatory drugs. All we need to do is get to the cause of the inflammation. Corn – in many cases, once wheat and gluten have been considered. This includes all the by-products of corn that are secretly tucked away in most of the items for sale in the supermarkets. Watch out for cosmetics, spices, cereals, pre-mixed baking flours and even a can of tuna or two! Corn is used for making maltodextrin and that seeps into just about every processed food. It is best to shop for simple organic ingredients and prepare old-fashioned wholesome food. One can then taste, feel and see the difference and avoid the need for taking so many drugs and medications.

Get up and fight for your food. Buy the label!

Fortunately thousands of people have wised up and are opposing the Monsanto movement. On the 25th of May, 2013 people in just about every country took part in a protest against genetically modified foods. They also pointed out that all food should be labelled according to new specifications so consumers can see what all the ingredients are. No more “Frankencorn."

If in doubt cut it out. If you do not tolerate the food don't eat it!

The easiest way to find the carbohydrates that suit you best is to visit a naturopath who knows about blood tests as well as salivary antigen tests. The latter are more accurate and can predict future health conditions based on a particular intolerance. (Long before uncomfortable symptoms emerge!) Here is a rough guide that you can use as a starting point.

Comments

What an adventure you had in South America. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. This makes a boring gluten free topic so much more interesting. I would love to find some GMO free polenta or corn meal. Does anybody know of outlets in South Africa?

Reply to this Comment

Dear Elize, thank you for your response. It is thrilling to know that somebody enjoyed what I wrote. Call it encouragement to try even harder!
I would also like to know more about South African corn. The nachos are sold as free of GMO so maybe we can find out if there is a safe source of maize flour. corn does not suit my blood type, but my husband can eat it. (I do enjoy a nacho now and then and is ti gluten free!)

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Good piece. Interesting stuff, thanks. The sad thing about GMOs is the damage will be done by if and when the time comes for it to be realized. More awareness of GMOs is needed. (I was down in Washington DC on May 25, 2013 and many people were walking up to the activists asking, "What is a GMO?) A few years ago I didn't know what it was either.
Been steadily trying to go GMO-free. If these products are so great, they should slap a label on it and be proud of it. Oh wait...

Reply to this Comment

Thanks for taking note. We are so trusting and seem to accept that if a product is on a supermarket shelf it is safe, nutritious and of good value. Oh yes, back in the days of Grandma! Hve you ever tried to grow popcorn?

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No, I haven't tried to grow popcorn, but would love to try someday. I pretty much buy frozen corn with the organic/ non-GMO label and can get the same for popcorn. I don't have a lot of gardening space so rotate what we try to grow (and am having zero luck with container gardening, although I did manage to grow some organic herbs this year on my deck : ). When we eventually move, I plan to have a big garden!

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Try to find a good source of seed. I planted popcorn from the packet of kernels and they grew into strong plants. The pods, however contained only 1 or 2 kernels! I once planted tomato seeds that produced yellow tomatoes. They never ripened and they never rotted - not even after 1 year. Eek!